Council seeks to strike balance

AS MAYOR OF Greeley, I am pleased to announce new understanding between the city of Greeley and the Greeley Tribune regarding executive sessions of the Greeley City Council.

The city manager, city attorney and I recently met with Tribune management. As a result of this meeting, the Tribune better understands the concerns of city council and the need for protecting our negotiating position in real estate and legal matters and protecting confidential information that relates to personnel that report to us. Conversely, we understand that the Tribune, and other media outlets, will always push for as much openness as possible. We agreed to be as specific as the law requires when announcing the reasons for executive sessions in the future.

By the newspaper’s own admission, the Tribune’s highest priority is open meetings. It is city council’s task to strike a balance between the need to make the best possible deal for the residents of Greeley and to hold only open meetings. Our decisions to hold recent executive sessions regarding discussions of possible police facility locations came after advice from our staff and unanimous vote of council members. Our sessions, at all times, have complied with Colorado state law and the Greeley Municipal Code. These discussions began following open work sessions Oct. 14, 2003, and Feb. 24, 2004, when the status and then a final analysis of the Space Needs Study was presented to the city council.

At our meeting on Tuesday, the council placed a small sales tax increase proposal on the November ballot. If passed, this sales tax will fund a new police station as well as renovate the existing facility for continued use for public safety purposes. Public hearings are now scheduled for Sept. 7 and Sept. 21 for the purpose of taking input on the selection of a site for the new facility.

This discussion is very much in progress. Your city council requires as much information and public input as possible before making decisions. You can be assured that your voice will be heard. We are planning police services for our future as well as the present, for all residents, in the most efficient way possible.